fact or fiction

Is it a fact or is it merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores relationship myths and truths to get your head out of the clouds and back into romantic reality.

Found and Lost
June 15 2010 Just listening to the ringing through the phone was hard. It was one of those things that he thought would push him over the edge, although there were many of those. “Suicide Hotline” the voice on the other end said, bursting through the line, Ron wasn’t really expecting anyone to answer; it was one of those times where it was going to be just two more rings and I’m hanging up. After all no one could really help now, or could they? His voice shook as he slowly said “I have nothing left to go on for” The voice responded as reassuringly as possible, “That can’t be true.” She said. “I am more than sure you have a lot going for you. I am here to help you figure that out… Who am I speaking with?” Ron hesitated for a moment deciding if he wanted to give his real name, then decided it doesn’t matter. “Ron” He said. “We’ll Ron, I’m in this with you for the long haul if you want me to be. My name is Rita. What’s going on Ron?” “Oh forget it, this is a waste of time” Ron yelled and threw his phone across the room from where he was sitting in his small one bedroom apartment. It narrowly missed a lamp on an end table and bounced off the back of the couch landing on the seat.
By Steve Fierce5 years ago in Humans
The Adventures at Vocal
The moderation team on Vocal stays up late at night, drinking coffee so they don’t fall asleep. They review every single story submission. Some of them read the entire story, and a few secretly skim the pages if they lose interest. Some of the stories they read are horrible. Some are ok and kind of good, and there are a few that are just fantastic, and have everything they are looking for. Originality, remembrance, flawless delivery, great quality, and only a few grammar mistakes. The last winner won $20,000 and this new challenge will gain $5,000. Sometimes if the moderation team doesn’t like a story, but knows they have to finish reading it, they will hand the story over to another team member. Some will even trick others into reading the story they didn’t like, but luckily most of them just put their big girl panties on and read them no matter how cheesy or bad they are. The motivation being “Only a few more days” or “Remember, you get paid for this”. They put their favorites stacked in a pile, which they then pass on to the Curation team. Most of them think, but don’t dare say “Great, we have to stay up late and read all these stories, even the crummy ones, and they get to only read the good ones we choose. Lucky them.” Finally, when the submission date closes, the moderation team can relax and have a beer, at least until a few more days when they have to start reviewing their next challenge submissions. Once the stories are passed on to the Curation team, the Curation team works hard brainstorming and comparing the stories, trying to find the best of the best stories. They read the top picks, and carefully score to determine the winners. They’re a huge team, but the main judges in this story are Chris, David, Nicole, Lisa, and Robert. Chris is the funny one, though he sometimes slacks he’s great at his job. David is the flirtatious, womanizer, but when he’s working, you would never know. Nicole is sweet and down to earth. Lisa is the strict, serious one, the one you don’t want to mess with and Robert. Well… He’s Robert. It starts off as any normal day. There are only 8 days left until the submissions close, and everyone’s running around like a chicken with their head cut off, trying to find the top possible winners. There’s not much time left, and all was going well until 2 of the moderation team members weren’t responding to their phone calls and emails. The Curation team was frustrated because that slowed down business for them. The next day 2 more moderation team members weren’t answering or replying to them. The Curation team thought it was weird, and were getting worried not only for their workers but for their business because there were still so many stories that needed to be read. Then 4 days later, 5 people from the moderation team weren’t responding to their calls. This couldn’t be a coincidence. The Curation team knew something was up and tried multiple times to contact them, but they weren’t having luck. What were they going to do? There are only 3 days left until final submissions and they were losing their workers. They started getting phone calls from their moderation team worker’s spouses, and family saying that they were missing. The police eventually got involved. They were now investigating Vocal. So not only did they have to deal with the pressure of the contest, they had to work with the police breathing down their necks. Nicole retrieved the stories from the missing moderation team members. She was afraid and worried about why they were disappearing, but when you’re in a business, you don’t have the luxury to waste time. Nicole split the stack of papers with her friends, Chris, David, Lisa, and Robert. Nicole spent 1 hour writing in her little black Moleskine notebook, and spent about 5 hours reading the submitted stories, when she came across an unusual story called “Kein Ausweg.” This story stood out for some reason. She flipped open the pages and began reading. The next day, Nicole wasn’t answering her phone calls. The Curation team was worried, especially with the other disappearances going on, so as a precaution they all went to Nicole’s office. Like suspected she wasn’t there, nothing was there except a story. This drew Chris’s eye. He picked it up and flipped open the pages. He had a weird feeling. “Hey, guys this looks pretty good,” Chris said.
By C.M.5 years ago in Humans
Second Thoughts
On the day Allan intended to kill himself, twenty-thousand dollars mysteriously appeared in his checking account. This irritated him, as he’d just spent the past three weeks deliberately squandering all his money on booze, drugs, and hookers, for the specific purpose of emptying his bank before he died. Having money was a reason to live, and he was tired of having reasons to live. The debauchery was meant to be his final ‘fuck it’.
By Rafael S.5 years ago in Humans
The Polydactyl
The Polydactyl ‘My father named me Autolycus; who being, as I am, littered under Mercury, was likewise a snapper-up of unconsidered trifles’
By Hayden Moore5 years ago in Humans
The Secret Behind Mr.Lancaster
It was the first day of spring, on Saturday, I was lying in bed and I looked through my open window to see bright red and blue sirens flashing at the entrance of my neighborhood. I watched the ambulance and different patrol vehicles drive up to my neighbors’ dark, empty house.
By Kaitlyn Morgan5 years ago in Humans
The little black book
I sat there at the lawyer’s office with my hands clenched together and my legs shaking, I wanted it to stop, I didn't want to be nervous, but I couldn’t, I was a nervous wreck since yesterday when the lawyer called me and said he was opening my mother’s will, I didn’t know she left a will because as much I remember she was penniless, she died 10 years ago when I was 12 years old, I stayed with my mother’s friend until I was 18 years old and put myself through college, and right now I am up to my neck with student loans, so imagine how excited I was when I got the call.
By Sam5 years ago in Humans
Conversations With Casper
"Dude. Are you serious?" "Seth, listen. Okay hear me ou-" "Ili. This is fucking stupid. You understand that Casper has not talked to you for what?"
By Fyrre_Radio Ili_Kebud5 years ago in Humans
The Unexpected
All she wanted was to move past the past. (Sigh) Here we go again, I just need one peaceful night’s sleep, she said to herself. Ever since the therapist gave me this assignment, I cannot rest. I keep thinking of the million ways to begin this journey but am I ready. “Thank”, “You”, “Thank”, “You”, she said aloud on her way to the bathroom. She looks in the mirror “Hmph! Rode hard and put away wet … or so the saying goes”. She takes her time being gentle with herself as she showered. In some ways it was as if she was trying to rinse it all away. Her entire past, up until this point, and start all over. She closed her eyes and held her mouth open, standing under the perfectly tempered water letting it roll over her head to toe; blowing out deep long breaths; releasing chaos, confusion, hurt, pain and fear. Thinking about the day to come. She would have to eventually face the assignment from her therapist, “I have an assignment for you this week, I need you to write a letter; from your younger self to you…” ‘Yeah that’s a piece of cake’, she laughed to herself.
By Lion Queen5 years ago in Humans
Within These Pages
The yellow cab screeched to a stop along the curb. Manny lumbered into the back seat and told the cabbies watchful eyes reflected in the rearview mirror, “Broadway and West 114th please”. The cabbie nodded imperceptibly and lurched the taxi back into late morning traffic. It must have known, Manny thought to himself, that’s the only way that a leak above the hotel nightstand could have incapacitated my phone...and the pen I hadn’t realized I left in my pocket could’ve stained my pants...and the elevator went out. Manny glanced at the tv screen mounted in the rear of the cabbie’s headrest which displayed a shockingly beautiful local news anchor talking about a severe thunderstorm rolling into the New York City area later today. None of that simple beauty you see on local news back in Cheyenne, he thought, gotta be Miss America to anchor morning news in the Big Apple. Manny found himself wondering what the woman’s true credentials were and if it had been easier for her to...focus! Manny snapped back to the moment as his gaze danced down to the clock on the screen, 10 am. Much later than he wanted to be handling this but there won’t be time afterwards.
By Shawn Gerard5 years ago in Humans
CHOOSE.
Chapter 1: All I can hear is his voice ringing in my ears; and all I can see is his figure fading to black. His words are a swirl of confusion in my head, but now they’re becoming more clear and distinct. There are two words that stand out among the rest, and the two objects in his hands are blurring my sight of everything else.
By Maeple Fourest5 years ago in Humans
A FIRE INSIDE
“Twenty stacks”, whispered Khalil as he lay in bed. He could not sleep; his body stuck somewhere between a dream and a nightmare. The resounding events from the bygone evening filled his mind...
By Jared Abraham5 years ago in Humans
The Inheritance
Texas, 1848 I was born in 1823 on a little ranch out west. When I was but a young man, I remember seeing an older gentleman at the saloon in town. He seemed out of place. I could not put my finger on what was so different about him. I had not seen him in town before. I was a native to the area; born and raised in the Texas heat. I had worked the land all my life with hands so caked in dirt and mud that I was nearly a piece of the land itself, so I recognized the strangers when they came into our little southern town.
By Megan Phipps5 years ago in Humans